State's Premier Bird Society Turns 40

Saturday

Oct 20, 2012 at 11:57 PM

If you want to keep up on what's happening in the bird world in Florida, the Florida Ornithological Society is the place to be.

By TOM PALMERTHE LEDGER

If you want to keep up on what's happening in the bird world in Florida, the Florida Ornithological Society is the place to be.Last weekend, the society celebrated its 40th anniversary at Archbold Biological Station in Lake Placid.The founding meeting occurred in 1972 in Lakeland.I've been a member for 25 to 30 years.FOS members are a mixture of scientists and amateurs who are interested in learning more about birds, bird conservation and bird ecology.One of the highlights of the meetings, other than socializing and birdwatching, are the paper sessions and the keynote address.The recent meeting didn't disappoint.I learned, for instance, that one of the side effects of the mercury contamination that is affecting the food chain is that white ibis are breeding less in some parts of their range in Florida.One reason for the breeding problems is that there is some evidence of same-sex pairing occurring in the birds that has been linked to the mercury consumption.That puts a whole new spin on making air pollution an issue for social conservatives, I suppose.I also learned that Audubon researchers in Tampa Bay are reporting a ­long-term decline in brown pelican populations, reversing an increase in earlier years following the end of DDT use.The reasons for the decline range from entanglement in fishing line, which has become a chronic problem in the Tampa Bay area, to loss of nesting sites because of erosion from weather and ship traffic.As some of you know, there is a small, but persistent nesting population of brown pelicans in the Lakeland area.Twenty-five years ago, brown pelican sightings in the area were worth noting. I would write down the date and location and report in for the seasonal reports published in Florida Field Naturalist, FOS's quarterly journal.Now, when I see several brown pelicans flying over the road, I'm unfazed.The main presentation involved the 44 years of research, much of it based at Archbold, of the Florida scrub-jay, the only bird species found exclusively in Florida. It is a federally threatened species.The scientist credited with organizing and encouraging much of that research was the late Glen Woolfenden (1939-2007).The research involved banding more than 18,000 birds to learn more about nesting, kinship, cooperative breeding behavior, habitat requirements and more.It is the longest continuous study of marked birds in North America.The data provided an opportunity to test notions about this species, said Reed Bowman, who has taken over the research project at Archbold. He was one of Woolfenden's students.For instance, cooperative breeding seemed for years to conflict with evolutionary theory because it appeared to involve altruistic behavior.But Bowman said further research showed that the related birds that helped breeding pairs raise young actually guaranteed their own access to future breeding territories and the perpetuation of their lineage.Research also spotlighted problems when suburban sprawl moves into Florida scrub-jay habitat.Residents put up bird feeders, which was great for the adults, but triggered a response to try to raise more young because it seemed food was plentiful.In fact, food for the young was scarce because the suburban landscape, which typically consists of heavy use of pesticides and little native habitat, produces relatively few insects, which is what the adults need to find to feed their young.As a result, suburban jay populations die out.Bowman said despite what scientists have learned, there's still much they don't know.They don't know, for instance, what is happening to jays is the result of environmental effects and what is the result of genetics.

FEEDERWATCH BEGINS SOONThe 26th season of Project FeederWatch begins Nov. 10.The program involves watching feeders from November through April and submitting observations to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.The data make it possible for scientists to keep track of changing bird populations across the continent. To sign up or for more information, go to www.FeederWatch.org.

CIRCLE B WALKSLake Region Audubon Society will begin periodic bird hikes at Circle B Bar Reserve led by the Bird Club. The first one will be from 8 to 10 a.m. Nov. 10. For more information, e-mail birdclub@lakeregionaudubon.org or call Gloria Brooke at 863-670-1314.

[ Tom Palmer can be reached at tom.palmer@theledger.com or 863-802-7535. Read more views on the environment at http://environment.blogs.theledger.com/. Follow on Twitter @LedgerTom. ]

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.